Maia (Beklan Empire 1)

"Berialtis!" The file-like rasp of Bel-ka-Trazet's voice frightened Maia. It had no effect, however, upon the Ortelgan girl, who seemed not even to have heard the High Baron as she continued to speak in an utterance almost trance-like and no longer directed specifically at Maia.

"God's truth flows from the Ledges of Quiso. There's healing there for the sick, comfort and wisdom for the wretched and lost. Bekla possessed that wisdom once, until greed and corruption destroyed it. A Sacred Queen whose business is whoring with a brazen image--"

The girl's voice had risen. People near-by were turning to stare.

"Berialtis," said Bel-ka-Trazet, "if you want to go home alive, be quiet!"

"But Lord Shardik will return to his faithful people," continued Berialtis, speaking now in a kind of sibylline monotone, "on that good night the children are taught to pray for. The Power of God will shatter the idolatrous baubles of the Tamarrik Gate, and once again his priest-king will walk through the streets of Bekla. God will re-veal his truth through Lord Shardik and the Chosen Vessels--"

"Ta-Kominion!" said Bel-ka-Trazet, in a tone as minatory and unnerving as anything Maia had heard in her life, "you brought this girl with you. If you value your life and hers, get her out of here before I have to speak again!"

Ta-Kominion had been staring at Berialtis with a kind of rapt attention, apparently oblivious to all else and hanging on her every word. Even Maia, though she had only the vaguest idea what the girl was talking about, could not help thinking that this divinatory passion--or whatever it was--was very becoming to her dark, intense style of beauty. Might that, perhaps, be the real reason behind this carry-on? The High Baron's voice, however, would have penetrated the trance of a sleep-walker.

"My lord," muttered Ta-Kominion as though against his will, "the girl's only speaking the trutli--"

"And this is no time for it!" hissed Bel-ka-Trazet, rising to his feet and standing over Ta-Kominion like some ghoul of nightmare. "If you do not--"

What might have happened next Maia was never to know, for at this moment Elvair-ka-Virrion appeared once more beside them. She had not felt so much relieved to see anyone since the night when she had recovered consciousness among the soldiers on the bank of the Valderra.

"Maia," said Elvair-ka-Virrion, smoothly ignoring the altercation, of which he could hardly have failed to be aware, "I think I'd be inclined not to wait any longer before starting our little venture. Otherwise they'll all be too drunk and a lot of them may have made--well, other arrangements, you know. What do you say?"

"I'd be glad to, my lord."

For the second time she jumped up, smoothing down the skirt of the cherry-colored robe. Ta-Kominion and the High Baron seemed too much preoccupied with each other to notice her, and she was about to leave without more ado when suddenly Ged-la-Dan grabbed her by the wrist.

"Where are you going this time, girl?"

She gave him her most dazzling smile. "You'll see in a moment, my lord."

"I want you here. You just understand, now, I'm not a poor man. I can--"

Elvair-ka-Virrion interrupted him.

"Well, Ged-la-Dan, if you've taken such a fancy to Maia, that may turn out to be very fortunate for you, as you'll see in a minute. But first of all I've got to take her with me--for the best of reasons. Sorry!"

Thereupon he took her arm and led her back towards the center of the room, leaving Ged-la-Dan with some spluttering protest dying on his lips.

The barrarz was momently becoming more disorderly and rowdy. A group of Palteshi officers, linked arm-in-arm and swaying back and forth, were singing a bawdy song in chorus, with Nennaunir and the little, dark-eyed shearna in their midst. One of them grabbed at Maia as she passed.

"A girl of renown, from the top of the town:

Dari town, Dari town, that's where we laid her down--"

Elvair-ka-Virrion, seizing his arm, bent it back to make him let go and whisked Maia away, passing Shend-Lador and his friends, one of whom was doing his best to drink a goblet of wine standing on his head.

Elvair-ka-Virrion leaped onto a table, kicked a space among the knives and dishes and then, beckoning to the chief steward, took his staff of office and hammered on the table for silence. As soon as the babble and clamor had partly subsided he shouted, "Listen! I've just this mo-ment been told of a magnificent surprise for all of you! Something you weren't expecting! This is really going to make you glad you came!"

"We're glad now!" bawled Shend-Lador; at which there were shouts of assent.

"Well, then, you listen to me!" repeated Elvair-ka-Virrion, once again pounding with the staff. "There are going to be a lot of surprises in the next month or so--but they're all going to be unpleasant ones for Santil-ke-Erketlis. This is a pleasant one--for all of you!"

He had their attention now. He's clever, thought Maia, putting it as he's only just heard of a surprise

: say that, always makes anyone want to know what it is.

"We've had one victory this year already," went on Elvair-ka-Virrion, "when we saw Karnat off at Rallur. He got his feet wet in the Valderra and had to go back to Suba to dry them." (Laughter and cheers.) "And we all know, don't we, who we owe that to? Sendekar!"

At this there was more cheering, broken after a few moments by a shout from the far end of the hall.

"What the hell d'you mean--Sendekar? He didn't swim the Valderra!"

"Maia'svictory!" cried a girl's voice. (That's Otavis, thought Maia: good for her!)

"Yes! Maia's victory!" replied Elvair-ka-Virrion. "Of course it was Maia's victory! Sendekar's not here tonight, more's the pity, but Maia is, and she's got something for Bekla that even Sendekar hasn't!"

At this there was more laughter. Someone called out "Whatever can that be?" while someone else miaowed like a cat.

"Expeditions like this cost money, believe it or not!" went on Elvair-ka-Virrion. "All your arrows and shields and spears have to be paid for, and we can't squeeze all the money out of the wretched peasants."

"You've got all old Sencho's money, haven't you?" shouted Ta-Kominion.

"Yes, but not his belly," replied Elvair-ka-Virrion. "It burst, and made a mess from here to Chalcon: that's what we've got to go and clear up. Now will you all listen? As you know, we've none of us been able to see a great deal-- not nearly as much as we'd like--of Maia Serrelinda since she came back from the Valderra. She's been recovering from her honorable wounds and enjoying a well-earned rest. But as you've all seen, she's here tonight. And she's come on purpose to help Bekla! Maia, come up here, beside me!" He stretched out his hands. "Here she is! The bravest and most beautiful girl in the empire!"

Maia, having taken his hands, was jumped up onto the table. Elvair-ka-Virrion stood her in the brightest patch of lamplight.

"Maia isn't a shearna, although there must be hundreds of people who wish she was. She doesn't need to be a shearna, because the Council have voted her the income she deserves for saving us all!"